As temperatures continue to drop, keep in mind you may not be the only one looking for an escape from the cold. Rodents such as mice and rats are foraging for food and shelter during these colder months, and often end up sharing space with you and your family.
How Do They Get In?
Mice and rats can enter your home in a variety of ways. They are capable of squeezing their body down to a fraction of its original size, fitting through openings as small as a quarter in their quest for shelter. Mice and rats are also extremely strong swimmers and have been known to enter houses through sewage lines. Loose roof shingles are another area that rodents can squeeze through to make their way inside. Make sure that there aren’t any cracks in your foundation that would allow a fury pest to enter your house, and have a roof inspection done every so often to ensure there are no loose shingles allowing access to the attic.
Damaging Your Home
Once they’ve made their way inside, rodents will need both food and water. Mice prefer to eat grains, so things like your cereal and pasta are high on their list of delicious meals. If you have a mouse that gets in and helps itself to your pantry, you’ll notice tears, scratch marks, and droppings near your food. Unfortunately, once a mouse has started in on your bag of Chex Mix, it needs to be thrown out. Not only will rodents eat your food, but they will chew on almost anything to keep their teeth sharp. This includes any wooden furniture, insulation, or electrical wires that are available. This can not only damage your possessions but your wallet as well. Having a mouse or rat short out your electrical system can cost a pretty penny, but getting and keeping them out of your house doesn’t have to be as hard as you think.
How To Get Rodents Out
Once your house is home to rodents, it’s time to take the necessary steps to get them back into the wild where they belong. Here at AJB Pest & Termite we specialize in pest control and can have you back to living in a rodent-free house in very little time. We use baited traps and continuously monitor set traps to ensure they capture the intended critters. Once all of the pests are out of your house, the repair process to any damaged areas can begin.
Contact us if you think you may have rodents; one of our specialists can help you with scheduling an inspection to determine your pest problem and get started on providing a solution.
